Notebook (also called laptop) computers are lightweight personal computers, which are quickly gaining popularity. The popularity of the notebook computers has especially increased since their prices have been dropping steadily, while maintaining similar performance as their larger siblings (i.e., desktop computers or workstations). One clear advantage of notebook computers is their ease of portability. The lighter weight restrictions require the mobile platform manufacturers to produce images that compete with the desktop models, while marinating an increased battery life.
As more functionality is integrated within mobile computing platforms, the need to reduce power consumption becomes increasingly important. Furthermore, users expect increasingly longer battery life in mobile computing platforms, furthering the need for creative power conservation solutions. Mobile computer designers have responded by implementing power management solutions such as, reducing processor and chipset clock speeds, intermittently disabling unused components, and reducing power required by display devices, such as an LCD or “flat panel” display.
Generally, power consumption in flat-panel display monitors increases with flat panel display backlight brightness. In some computer systems, flat panel display backlight power consumption can soar as high as six Watts when the backlight is at maximum luminance. In a mobile computing system, such as a laptop computer system, this can significantly shorten battery life. In order to reduce flat panel power consumption and thereby increase battery life, mobile computing system designers have designed power management systems to reduce the flat-panel display backlight brightness while the system is in battery-powered mode. However, in reducing backlight brightness in a flat panel display, the user is often left with a display image that is of lower quality than when the mobile computing platform is operating on alternating current (AC) power. This reduction in image quality results from a reduction in color and brightness contrast when backlight brightness is reduced.
Image quality can be further affected by ambient light surrounding the display. This reduces the number of environments in which a user can use a mobile computing system comfortably.